Jet off to the trip of a lifetime awaiting you in Europe!

Check-in to your hotel after 2pm and the remainder of the day is free to relax before meeting your fellow travellers at 6pm. After dinner take a short walk to explore nearby Covent Garden.

Meet up with your Contiki Crew before we hit the road and take a ferry past the White Cliffs of Dover. Next stop: the buzzing, freewheeling city of Amsterdam.

Check out Amsterdam’s eye-opening Red Light District, where the creative and wacky come together on narrow cobbled streets, 24/7.

Try out Amsterdam’s multi-ethnic cuisine. This cultural melting pot dishes up loads of affordable food.

With an optional evening canal cruise, you’ve got a chance to get to know the group, unwind with a few drinks and uncover Amsterdam at water level. Get some pointers on the city’s hot spots from your Tour Manager and head into town for a fun night out.

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Experience Amsterdam’s coffee shops, museums and cool, quirky boutiques. In your free time, wander along shady canals and pass gabled houses or hop on two wheels like the laid-back locals and bike through the centre of town.

Chill out while the coach follows the Rhine River, weaving through valleys dotted with castles and vineyards.

Next stop – the pretty, old-world village of St Goar, complete with fairy-tale castle and even a free standing cuckoo clock! Kick back with a glass of local wine and choose to find out more with the optional wine tasting in a candlelit underground cellar.

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Travelling south, pull into the home of the world-famous Oktoberfest, Munich – a city that blends traditional Bavarian culture with a modern lifestyle.

Explore the heart of Munich’s Old Town with the crew, and head to Marienplatz. It’s a central gathering spot famous for the Glockenspiel – a gothic clock, complete with 32 dancing figures and 43 chiming bells.

Get off the beaten track and onto Munich’s side streets with our Local Guide in a fun biking tour around the city – it’s a great way to see the sights.

Then, get a taste of tradition at a typical beer hall. Park yourself at a long wooden table, order yourself some hearty local food, like roasted pork, and quench your thirst with a stein of one of Germany’s 5000 brews.

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We continue through impressive mountain scenery into Austria. Explore the cobbled streets of the Winter Olympic town Innsbruck with its magnificent Royal Palace and Imperial church. Don’t forget to try a piece of delicious Austrian strudel and some local schnaps!

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Today we wind through the astonishing beauty of the Brenner Pass to cross the border into Italy. It’s a short boat ride to the historical centre of Venice to see St Mark’s Square, the Doges’ Palace and the Bridge of Sighs. There’s no better way to see Venice than from a gondola so why not join us for a ride before treating yourself to a Venetian evening meal?

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Criss-cross the Apennine Mountains on the road to Rome.

Stylish Rome oozes energy and overflows with relics from another age. Our special access coach tour gets you right into the thriving atmosphere of this living timeline as your Tour Manager shows you the Colosseum and Piazza Venzia. Continue on foot to check out the Pantheon and Piazza Navona. Honour tradition at the Trevi Fountain and throw a coin in the fountain’s waters (it’s meant to improve your chances of returning to Rome!) or maybe hang out with your new friends at the Spanish Steps, sit back with a few slices of pizza and people watch.

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This morning, make the most of our local guide’s inside knowledge and uncover the remains of an ancient empire with a fantastic optional tour of the Roman Forum and Colosseum. Then check out the smallest country in the world and home to the Pope, the Vatican City.

Take off into the city and absorb the atmosphere, as vespas flash past timeworn monuments that are surrounded by fountains, pizzerias, cafes and bars.

Before you hit the shops, let your Tour Manager point you in the right direction with some tips on the best buys.

Use your free time and live the local lifestyle by indulging in a long lunch on a paved piazza or knock back a shot of espresso at the bar, just like the Romans.

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Next up: Umbria’s rustic hills and many vineyards. Travel past the iconic cypress trees of this olive-oil producing region, to the Renaissance city of Florence.

The scene-stealing Duomo cathedral rises above the city. Get the inside track on Florence’s cultural beginnings from our local guide as the group explores streets crammed with artworks from masters like Michelangelo. Then, take a look into a skilful demonstration of Florentine leather making and understand this region’s traditional art.

The city’s markets are a great place to hang out and bargain. Grab a gelato in your free time and enjoy the feel of this gorgeous city.

Tonight there’s a choice of a group dinner – an authentic Tuscan feast, where you’ll get to try regional dishes in the heart of Florence. Afterwards, head with the group to a local bar, order yourself a glass of Chianti wine and kick back Tuscan style.

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With covered wooden bridges, cobbled lanes and quaint buildings, Lucerne’s centre is perfect to explore on foot. Also to stock up on lots of genuine Swiss chocolate! Your Tour Manager can give you pointers on where to pick up the best-priced watches that Switzerland is so famous for.

This afternoon, choose an optional cruise on one of Europe’s most striking lakes, where stunning scenes of the Swiss Alps reflect back across the water.

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With down-time on the coach, plug in your MP3, chill out to some music and chat with friends while travelling through the scenic wine producing region of Burgundy.

Tonight, the group kick-starts Paris with the “Tour of Illuminations”, which shows off the French capital’s transformation into the “City of Lights”. Lamp-lit bridges and cool little cafés give us a real taste of Paris’ romance. Your Tour Manager will fill you in on the world’s most-recognised monuments, like the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe.

After the tour, enjoy another angle on the city with our included cruise along the River Seine. The lights of Paris and its buildings are spectacular when seen from the water.

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Next up: Fragonard! This perfumery has an elegant interior and is a unique setting for a look into the history of perfume. It’s also a chance to pick up some French perfume at great prices.

This town is loaded with possibilities. Discover its many bistros, museums, tree-lined avenues and diverse quartiers (neighbourhoods).

Get a feel for French flair by window shopping on the Left Bank, step into the huge Notre Dame cathedral or explore the endless galleries of the Louvre where you can get up close to the famous Mona Lisa. Try indulging in some delicious pastries and relax in one of Paris’ many green spaces.

Tonight, treat yourself to a real Parisian cabaret experience, complete with can-can girls, dinner and champagne and get to know your crew. But don’t stop there – hit the clubs and start your trip off with a fun night out.

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After breakfast, there will be a transfer for you to Charles de Gaulle Airport (estimated arrival at 10:00 am) OR choose to take a complimentary transfer to central London with your Tour Manager and Driver and extend your stay.

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